VISUAL ANALYSIS ESSAY - ANNUNCIATION OF MARY BY HARMNSZ JAN
I was fascinated when I first saw this painting. I saw a picture painted in such dark colors and with a woman who doesn't look so happy and I couldn't believe that there can be a picture, which over these characteristics still exhales so positive and faithful energy. Then I looked on the name of the author and picture and I was decided to write about this special painting.Annunciation of Mary supposedly comes from Harmnsz Jan Rijn Rembrandt or from one of Rembrandt's students and it was created before 1660. It was painted by oil on canvas technique. It shows Mary in moment of annunciation, in moment of her great surprise, confusion and even slight fear. Mary is sitting in room with table covered with red tablecloth. She was probably reading a book just before the annunciation happened. I would guess that the book is Old Testament, because that was probably the only book that could be read by truly faithful Jewess at that time. (It is also slightly doubtful to me that she could have known how to read.) The book is painted as falling on the
The first difference I realized when I compared these two pictures is use of colors. Leonardo is using truly renaissance colors, i. Her widely opened eyes are filled with anxiety, you can see in them that she has problems to believe to what she sees, but nevertheless her eyes are locked on the Angel. It looks like she is sliding from the chair with one knee almost touching the ground. On other hand Rembrandt is using darker colors and he is much more spare in use of colors variety, but much more generous in depths and tones of each color. Mary's dress is (I think) traditional Judaic cloths; she wears white raiment with orange covering over the raiment. greater variety, much brighter and "aggressive" colors. I would like to compare this work with Leonardo da Vinci's Madonna in the Rocks, because of the main character on the pictures and because of the same geniality of the creators. The last visible difference is the background. Her young, innocent, but not simple face is full of emotions. Rembrandt almost ignores the surrounding of his figures to probably to let viewer focus on the detailed character face. Her emotional state and even partly her inner character are, by my opinion, perfectly expressed by her body position, movement of her arm and above all her facial expression. Leonardo gave much higher importance to it, his work wouldn't be complete without it and quite often it even gives it some deeper sense to his pictures. Her hands are lifted by instinctual fear reflex. I feel that on Rembrandts paintings is light on the faces the most important thing that gives the paintings its magical feeling and in commutable soul.
Common topics in this essay:
Angel Angel,
Madonna Rocks,
Rembrandt Rembrandt's,
,
Annunciation Mary,
source light,
|
Acceptance Essays
